Collapsible bench leg



Aug. 28, 1928. I 1,682,671

a. F. GOODING COLLAPS I BLE BENCH LEG Filed D66. 8, 1925 5 INVENTORIGeorge Goof/111g. BY

Gala CM ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES GEORGE I. GOODDTG, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON,

ooLnArsIBLE BENCH LEG.

Application filed December 8, 1925. Serial No. 74,084.

My invention relates to improvements in collapsible bench legs and theob1ect of my 1nvention is to provide a detachable, colla s ble bench legor trestle of simple and e meat construction that is particularlyadapted for use on staging or low scaffolding of the form commonly usedby plasterer-s, lathers, pa1 nt-- ers, carpenters and persons engaged 1nllke occupations.

A more specific ob]ect of my inventlon s to provide a detachablecollapsible leg of this nature having, near the top, a cross barthat isrigid relative to one leg member and plvoted relative to the other legmember and having an angle bracket or shoe rigidly secured to said crossbar for the reception of a horizontal beam.

Another specific object is to provide prong means at the top of the legfor engaging wlth a horizontal beam, said prong means being so arrangedas to force the beam to seat firmly and squarely within and against theangle bracket on which it rests.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient extension and trussmeans for a collapsible bench leg of this nature. B

Other and more specific olqects Wlll be ap-- arent from the followingdescription taken 1n connection with the accompanying drawings' In thedrawings Figure 1 1s a view in s1de elevation of a saw horse or trestleformed of a beam supported on two collapsible legs constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view on a larger scale of the same.

Fig. 3 is a' view shpwmg one of the bench legs in a folded position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showlng a bench leg in an extended or openposition with the horizontal beam member removed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view 1n elevation showing an extension memberfor the bench le Fig. 6 is an enlarged view partly in cross section andpartly in plan showing the fastenin means for the extension member.

ig. 7 is a fragmentar detached view of a brace or truss member t rat isused when the leg extension members are used.

Referring to the drawings throughout which like reference numeralsdesignate like arts, I show a preferred embodiment of my invention inwhich each collapsible bench leg 66 is formed of two, normally upright,supporting members 10 and 11 connected near their top ends by a crossbar 12 that is rigidly secured to t e leg member 10 as by rivets 13 andthat is pivotally secured to the leg member 11 by a bolt 14. Thesupporting members 10 and 11 are connected near their bottom ends bylinks 15 and 16 which are pivoted to the respective members 10 and 11and are connected with each other by a pivot bolt 17 and which operateon the principle of toggle links to maintain the bottom ends of themembers 10 and 11 in a spread apart or extended Dosition. The link 16 ispreferably an angle bar with the flange disposed at the upper edge andextending outwardly so that it will come down onto the top edge of link15 as shown in Fig. 2 and stop further pivotal movement of the links 15and 16 just after the pivot 17 passes a straight line joining the pivotsby which the two links are connected wit-h the members 10 and 11, thuscausing the links to look by reason of pivot 17 passing center. Thelinks15 and 16 overlap for a considerable distance and are preferablyprovided near the end of link 16 with holes 18 that register when thelinks are extended as shown in Fig. 2 so that the shackle of a padlock19 may be passed therethrough to lock the links in the extendedposition.

The members 10 and 11 are preferably angle bars and the upper cross bar12 is also preferably an angle bar with its horizontal flange turnedoutwardly as respects members 10 and 11. A plurality of holes 20 may beprovided in the end of cross bar 12 to afford adjustment for bolt 14whereby the width between the top ends of members 10 and 11 may beadjusted to beams of different thickness.

Rigidly secured to the top cross bar 12 at right angles thereto is acomparatively short angle bar 21 forming a shoe that is adapted toreceive the end of a horizontal supporting member or beam 22. A trussmember 23 connects one end of the angle bar 21 with leg member 10 toafi'ord rigidity.

Leg members 10 and 11 are each provided at the top end with knifebeveled prongs 24 that are adapted to embed themselves in the beam 22when the device is set up to firmly grip and hold said beam. The prong24 on the leg 11 is lower than the corresponding prong 24 on the leg 10so that when the device is set up as shown in Fig. 2 the point ofcontact or pressure of le 11 being below that of leg 10 will force thett m e g f beam 22 securely over against the upright side of angle 21.The bevel of the cutting edges of the prongs 24 is shown in Fig. 4 andthe advantage of this bevel is that the points that protrude furthestenter the wood first and it requires less force to properly seat suchprongs than it would if the cutting edges of the same were not inclinedor beveled.

The angle bar 21 is long enough so that when the beam 22 lies thereinthe bench'leg will be braced in such a manner that it will not tend totip or tilt endwise as it would do if this beam were not of substantiallength.

To make this bench leg adjustable as to height, I provide in connectionwith each leg member and 11 an extension member 25 in the form of anangle bar, preferably of smaller cross section than the leg members, andhaving perforations 26 adapted to fit over a rigid stud rivet 27 that isprovided near the bottom end of each leg member 10 and 11. A triangularclamp member 28 having a clamp screw 29 may be used in connection withstud 27 for securing the extension 25 to the leg member 10 and 11, seeFig. 6.

A brace member 30, see Fig. 7, and dotted lines, Fig. 1 is arranged tobe connected with the lower portion of the extension member 25 and withthe beam 22 to afford necessary rigidity. The lower end of the bracemember 30 is preferably forked as at 31 to fit over the perforatedflange of angle bar 25 and is provided with a pin 32 which may beinserted through one of the holes 26 in said angle bar 25.

A bracket 33 of substantially U shape is secured by a pivot 34 to theupper end of brace member 30 and is rovided with a screw 35 by which itmay e clamped onto the beam 22.

These bench legs are quickl and easily secured to or detached from a camto form a strong and substantial horse for general use on which stagingmay be supported. The toggle links 15 and 16 at the bottom ends of theleg members form an efficient means for expanding the bottom ends ofsuch bench legs apart and afford a powerful leverage for seating theprongs 24 in the beam 22.

Making the cross bar 12 rigid with one leg 10 produces a more rigid andsubstantial structure, obviates substantially all danger of twisting thebeam 22 out of its proper position in setting the device up, makes iteasier to set said device up and make it possible to secure the shoe 21to the cross bar 12 and use the rigid angle brace 23 from the leg 10 tothe inner end of the shoe.

These bench legs are sufficiently compact in construction so that fourof said bench le s, which are necessary to the construction 0 two horsesmay be easily carried in a motor car or similar vehicle thus making itpossible for a carpenter or a lather or a plasterer to save the time andmaterial ordinarily used in the construction of horses or benches ofthis nature.

The foregoing descri tion and accompanying drawings clear y disclose apreferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that thisdisclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the inventionmay be resorted to as are within the scope and spirit of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible bench leg of the class described embodying two legmembers, toggle links connecting the lower ends of said leg members anda cross bar extending between the upper ends of said leg members saidcross bar being rigidly secured to one of said leg members and pivotallysecured to the other leg member. 1

2. In a collapsible bench, bench legs each embodying two leg members, across bar connecting said leg members adjacent the up er end, a shoeformed of an angle bar secured to said cross bar, a beam arranged torest on said shoe and to be clamped between the top ends of said legmembers, the point of contact of one of said leg members with said beambeing below the point of contact of the other leg member with said beamand means for holding the bottom ends of said leg members apar 3. In acollapsible extensible bench leg of the class described, two leg memberseach formed of angle bars, extension members formed of angle bars andarranged to fit within said leg members, said extension members eachhaving a lurality of perforations in one flange, stud means on said legmembers arranged to fit within the perforations in said extensionmembers and a triangularly shaped clamp bracket arranged to fit oversaid le members and said extension members and having a screw forclamping the same together.

The foregoing specification signed at Seattle, Washington, this 27th dayof July,

GEORGE F. GOODING.

Ill

